by Langdon, L.
Gerri couldn’t help but think of Olivia. She would have kittens if she could see this. But it didn’t matter—one more day and they’d be gone. Maybe they could be pen pals. That would be nice.
The class proceeded similarly to that of the day before. Frank and Marilyn had limited engagement with Gerri’s lesson, spending their time scribbling and quietly discussing something. Maybe there were a few more shared looks and smiles than the previous day—yes, Gerri was keeping an eye on them—but they didn’t disrupt the class.
She was even a little impressed. First, that Marilyn had chosen a nice guy like Frank for her little flirtation. And, second, that she seemed to have caught his eye in two days when a number of girls in school had tried for much longer than that with no success. Now, if Marilyn could only keep her mouth shut about this around Olivia…
At the end of the class, when most students eagerly left to get on with their post-school day, Frank and Marilyn lingered in the back. When they were the only ones left, they came to the front looking pleased. “We think we’ve solved the Königsberg Bridge Problem,” said Frank. “May we give you our solution?”
“Really?” Gerri looked at them both. “Go ahead. I’d love to hear it.”
Gerri didn’t give them an easy time of it. She had previously made it plain to Frank that a clear, convincing argument was required. She questioned them and demanded more details on several points, but in the end, she had to concede that they had a valid proof of impossibility.
“This is excellent! I’m very impressed. With both of you,” she added with a look at Marilyn.
Frank was grinning happily. Gerri had never seen him so ebullient when he had solved one of her previous challenge problems. That’s OK. They earned it!
He turned to Marilyn and asked, “They’ve got a soda fountain downtown. Have you got time to go get a milkshake to celebrate?”
Marilyn looked pleadingly at Gerri. Gerri couldn’t throw a damper on their last day. “I think you have time. Just remember to be back in time for dinner. This is your last night here.” She reached for her purse. “Do you have money?”
Frank shook his head. “No. Your money’s no good here.” Gerri stifled a laugh. One of the things that she liked about him was his ability to be self-mocking as he uttered a cliché.
Marilyn gave him an arch look and a small smile. “You mean you don’t use American currency out here on the frontier?”
He leaned toward her and tapped her on the arm. “No. I mean that I want to treat my research partner to a celebration.”
Gerri got home late and tired, but happy for Marilyn. Her experiences at the high school would definitely make the trip to Alaska a roaring success for her. Gerri hadn’t decided how much detail to share with Olivia, but she looked forward to telling Sven all about this.
She didn’t get a chance to enjoy it for long. As she opened the door, she saw everyone sitting in the living room looking solemn. Olivia jumped up and intercepted her. “You’ve created a monster,” she hissed.
Chapter 49
Gerri groaned and started to walk toward the living room. Olivia followed her and continued her diatribe. “She’s so crazy about this boy that she wants to stay here.”
Gerri looked more carefully at the people. Marilyn looked miserable—tearful and defiant. Robert looked concerned. Olivia looked outraged. And Joetta looked somehow smug. Lastly, she looked at Sven. He was not happy.
Joetta piped up with barely disguised satisfaction. “She kissed him!”
Marilyn rounded on her. “I kissed him on the cheek, you little brat. And what were you doing spying on us, anyway?”
“Ma told me to come out and get you so you wouldn’t spend all afternoon out there with him.” Gerri now understood Joetta’s smugness. It wasn’t pretty, but Gerri had seen it before—she had even, heaven help her, done things like this when Rich was home. It was the younger child feeling satisfaction and power by ratting on the older child to their parents.
She was just trying to figure out how to bring some rationality to the proceedings when Sven abruptly stood up and, with an unreadable look, walked out of the room. Seconds later, Gerri heard the front door close. She was beset with guilt. Sven hadn’t asked for any of this drama; she had brought it to him. Not the actions of a good team member.
Marilyn made another appeal. “This isn’t just because of Frank.”
Olivia overrode her. “I don’t believe you. You’ve been talking about nothing else since yesterday.”
Gerri couldn’t concentrate. What must Sven be thinking? She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was disappointed in her. She held up her hand to stop the conversation. “Can you all just hold it for a minute? I want to talk to Sven.” Somewhat to her surprise, they stopped. Maybe they realized that this was Gerri’s home in which they were arguing.
Sven leaned against the porch railing and stared absently across the channel at Juneau, as he silently berated himself. He shouldn’t have left. He knew that—especially when he might have something to contribute if the discussion became rational. It was cowardly of him to abandon Gerri, but it reminded him so vividly of his own fights with his parents before their final estrangement.
He heard the door click shut behind him and turned. Gerri was in his arms immediately. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t start it. I’m the one who should be sorry—leaving you on your own in the middle of a fight.”
“Don’t call it a fight. It’s a discussion.”
“It sure sounded like a fight.”
“OK, a spirited discussion.” She felt Sven snort in amusement. “Didn’t you have family discussions?”
Now, he was really amused. Somehow, Gerri had managed to make it seem as though he had done nothing wrong. He leaned back so he could see her face. “No, we didn’t. If a discussion means a give and take, where each party listens to what the others have to say, then we definitely didn’t. Family fights, yes. Family harangues, certainly. But not family discussions.”
Gerri looked into his eyes. Someday, she wanted to learn more about those days—but not now. She sighed. “I really should go back in there before it really becomes a fight.”
He took her hand. “And I should go in beside you. But before you go…” He took a breath. “I drove her to school this afternoon.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugged and made a dismissive face. “It was no problem. Plus, it looked like rain and she had fixed herself up and everything.”
“I noticed.” Was this really all about a crush on Frank?
“She was excited about the class. Not just about Frank. That paper that she asked me for last night? She was using it in her room last night, scribbling and working on some problem. Something about bridges?”
“Really?”
“Yes. I think that we should hear her side of this.”
“Really?” Do I sound like a broken record? “Does that mean that you would actually consent to this?” This was the last thing Gerri would have expected.
“Let me put it this way. If you’re against it, then so am I. If you’re in favor, then we would have to reach an understanding with her, but I wouldn’t fight it.”
“Whew! That’s the last thing that I expected to hear. What about us wanting to live alone together?”
“I still do. And in an ideal world, we would be—starting tomorrow. But I think she hates her high school, and, from my impression of it, I can’t say that I blame her. I wouldn’t want you to be stuck in that situation, and she is your sister. Let’s see what she has to say—what kind of a case she makes.”
Gerri reached up and brushed his lips with hers. “I love you, Sven. OK, let’s go and talk.”
Eager to make up for his earlier cowardly flight, Sven sought to take the initiative. “If you don’t mind, I would like to hear what Marilyn has to say.” Marilyn shot him a grateful look.
Olivia looked as though she wanted to object, but s
he couldn’t. Sven was, after all, their host. And he and Gerri were the people whose lives would be the most disrupted by Marilyn’s plan. “Go ahead,” she finally said.
“Thank you,” Marilyn said, looking at Sven. She took a deep breath and gripped her thighs. Gerri could see where her hands had been shaking. “This is not just about Frank. Yes, I like him. But I think everybody likes him.” She looked at Gerri for support. Gerri nodded her agreement.
“I would love to have a study partner as smart as he is. But it’s not just that.” She looked around beseechingly. “They actually think I’m smart. They make me feel a part of the classes. Do you have any idea how good that feels? Back home, half the time the teachers won’t call on me, even if I raise my hand. And if they do, the white kids will roll their eyes, and half the black kids will look disgusted, as if I’m trying to get over or something.
“If I were in school here, I’d feel like I was a part of things. And I’d work harder because I’d want everyone to keep thinking that I’m smart.” She turned to Gerri. “I studied that challenge problem last night. Do you know when the last time was that I spent a vacation evening working on a math problem? Hah! Try ‘never.’”
After Marilyn’s plea, the tone of the discussion started to change. Sven didn’t know whether it was Marilyn’s persuasiveness or the fact the Sven and Gerri didn’t reject the idea out of hand. Her parents still had questions and concerns, but Olivia calmed down, and it seemed as though she and Robert were starting to consider the idea seriously.
When the tide seemed to have turned in favor of the idea, Sven counseled caution, asking Gerri, “There are lots of things to think about on our end, but do we know whether the school would even allow this?”
“I think so. Students do transfer in after the start of classes.” She thought for a moment. “I’m not sure about transcripts and records and such.” She stood up abruptly. “Let me make a phone call or two.”
While she was out of the room, Sven thought about all of the things which could go wrong with this. He remembered—reluctantly—his own tumultuous senior year. “Marilyn,” he began, “You should consider that this might be hard on you even beyond school. If your parents give their consent, then you’d still have to live in this house. We’d have responsibility for you and you’d be answerable to us. That means that you’d have to accept that Gerri and I have parent-like authority over you. Having Gerri acting like your mother is not something that you’re used to, I’m sure. And having me acting like a father when you barely know me… Are you sure that you can live with that? Because if you make Gerri’s life miserable or if you embarrass her at school…” He even threw her one of his patented scowls, thankful that Gerri wasn’t in the room to laugh at him. “I’ll have you on a plane out of here so fast that your head will spin.” I can be the nice guy later; I need to know how Marilyn will react to adversity now.
Marilyn hesitated for only a couple of seconds. “I understand and I accept that. I’ll try to be good.” She paused and he could see the wheels spinning in her head. “I’ll help around the house—whatever you need.”
Gerri returned just in time to hear Robert’s observation. “Olivia and I’ll talk about this, but I must say that it’s very generous of you to even consider it.”
Sven looked at Gerri. Then he smiled and replied, “I have it on reliable authority that Gerri has tamed me.”
The Bartons looked at her with fascination, and she glared at Sven. Note to self: slap Ellen next time you see her! She settled for a quick disavowal: “Pay no attention to him. Here’s what I found out…”
The school, it turned out, would present no major obstacles. Paperwork would be required, but Marilyn could enroll and attend classes before it all arrived. The evening dragged on, though, with Gerri, Marilyn, and their parents getting the logistical details hammered out. There would be boxes of clothes and the like to be mailed from South Carolina. And there would be some shopping trips here to augment Marilyn’s wardrobe in the meantime.
Sven found himself irrelevant and decided to get some dinner for everyone—carryout food would have to do, since the women were too busy to cook. He turned to Joetta, who was wearing a long face, and asked, “I’m going to pick up some food. Can you come with me to help carry it?”
Once in his truck, she turned weepy. “I don’t want her to stay here. Then I won’t have any sisters.”
How am I supposed to deal with this? Sven didn’t know, but ignoring it wasn’t an option. I’d better practice acting like a parent. “You can still write each other, just as you did with Gerri. Anyway, she won’t be gone forever. And while she’s gone, you’ll be the big girl of the family. You’ll have your pick of bedrooms.” That seemed to mollify her a bit. Then, on an inspiration, he asked her about her friends back home.
That worked. She apparently had many and she was looking forward to telling each of them all about this exciting trip. She was still talking about them as they sat and waited for their pizza—which she helped to choose. Crisis averted…
___
Gerri was late getting to bed, but Sven was still awake. “Did you get everything worked out?”
“As much as we could think of.” Gerri slid in beside him and put her arms around him. Sven shifted so that he could hold her. “Let’s just cuddle,” she warned him.
“OK,” he responded. “You must be tired.”
“I am. But I’m also afraid that we could be heard if we…”
He chuckled. Her sisters’ bedroom was right next to the master bedroom. “Once your family leaves, we’ll put Marilyn in the bedroom in the back. Any noise you make won’t carry back there. Besides, don’t teenagers play music a lot?”
“Maybe.” She thought about that and then dug him in the ribs. “But maybe she’ll play it too quietly to block the sounds.”
Sven grinned, amused by her discomfort. “We’ll get used to it. Or she will.” He paused. “Or maybe she’ll be the first teenager in history to get yelled at for having her music not loud enough!”
Gerri giggled, already starting to feel drowsy in his arms.
Sven thought about the evening. It hadn’t been the disaster that it could have been. And, best of all, there was no lingering ill will between him and Gerri. “Now I know what a family discussion is,” he muttered.
Gerri roused herself. “Good. Did you like it better than a family harangue?”
“Much better.” He shifted again to see her better. “Did I ever tell you about the butler whose boss always yelled at him?”
Gerri looked at him warily and shook her head.
“The butler really hated the verbal abuse, but he was afraid to say anything openly for fear of losing his job. So the next time his boss rang for him, he drew himself up and responded with all of the dignity that he could muster, ‘You harangue, sir?’”
Gerri studied his face. He looked pleased with himself. He’s happy! “I love you,” she said with a smile. “And that was terrible!”
Chapter 50
September, 1971
Gerri and Sven sat out on their porch and just relaxed. The long days of summer were over, but today had still been uncommonly warm for this late in the summer. Gerri looked across the channel at the city and the sunset on the mountains. She didn’t think that she’d ever get tired of this view.
Sven glanced over at her. “Well, we made it.”
Gerri felt a satisfied smile growing, but she just nodded.
“And all year long, we never once had to tell her to turn her music up.”
She reached out and nudged him with her toe. “Stop being bad. Marilyn would have been so embarrassed…” Gerri thought for a while. “She’s matured a lot since I left South Carolina. I’m proud of how well she did this last year in school. Of course, I can’t help but worry a little about college. She’s a long ways from home at the University of Washington. Either one of her homes, for that matter.”
“I think they’ll do well. She and Frank will watch out for ea
ch other.”
“Just like they did this past year.”
“Do you think they’ll end up together? Romantically, I mean.”
Gerri considered that. “I don’t know. I don’t think that even they know. But it definitely amuses them when people speculate about them.”
“Fortunately, neither one of them is in a hurry to get married. I remember Marilyn saying once that she wasn’t getting married before she was 25.”
Gerri remembered that as well. She also remembered that Frank had previously claimed that he wouldn’t marry before he was 30. When Marilyn had made her proclamation, however, he had responded with, “Yeah, maybe 25 is a good age.” Both he and Marilyn had found that to be hilarious. Gerri had understood Frank’s sense of humor well enough by that time to catch the sly reference: they knew that Frank was exactly three days older than Marilyn, so he was subtly suggesting that he and Marilyn might be getting married at the same time.
“I feel a bit sorry for your mother. She must feel like she’s losing her family.”
“She did want Marilyn to apply to colleges closer to home, but I think she’s satisfied with UW—especially since they offered Marilyn a really good financial aid package.”
“Did you ever tell Olivia that Marilyn and Frank applied to the same schools?”
“No. That would have just made her worry more, especially if she heard about Stanford.” Frank had gotten accepted at Stanford—he had gotten accepted everywhere that he’d applied—but he declined because Marilyn didn’t get accepted there.
“Umm,” said Sven. “It’s strange to have an empty nest before you even had a real nest.” He shot her a sly smile. “I mean, whenever I thought about bringing a third person into our home, I just assumed that we would start out with a little teeny person.” He gestured with his hands a couple of feet apart. “And it would grow gradually into a full sized person. But we started out with a full sized person.”
